Lebanon - Protection Snapshot: Displacement Post-Escalation (2-15 March 2026)

The Protection Sector Emergency Snapshot is produced by the Protection Analysis and Monitoring Task Force (PAMTF), drawing on information and secondary data from sector lead agencies in the context of the ongoing escalation of conflict and displacement. It consolidates inputs from Protection, Child Protection, and GBV partners, including dedicated protection monitoring actors. The snapshot reflects field observations, community level insights, and operational updates from frontline teams engaged in protection service delivery and monitoring.

Situation Overview

On 2 March, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon escalated from localized tension and ceasefire violations to a full-scale national emergency. Intensified military operations by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and widespread evacuation warnings affected Lebanese, Displaced Syrians, and Palestinian refugees, as well as migrants, forcing large numbers to flee their homes on very short notice. An estimated 100,000 people were newly displaced within 24 hours, illustrating the speed and scale of the crisis. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), as of 16 March, more than 1 million people fled their homes in the first two weeks of the conflict. Of those displaced, 132,742 are currently in government designated collective shelters (CS), while government figures indicate more than 900,000 being displaced outside collective sites, staying with relatives, in informal sites, in cars, or in public spaces with limited access to services and basic assistance.

The risk of civilian harm from hostilities remains high. According to the Ministry of Public Health, 886 deaths and 2,141 injuries have been reported to date, with many incidents occurring in or near residential areas and locations hosting displaced populations. Attacks on relief workers have also been documented, including an incident on 9 March when a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance was struck in Majdal Zoun, resulting in the killing of one paramedic and injuring of another staff. Such attacks not only present life-threatening situations for frontline staff but delay life-saving assistance and erode the perceived safety of humanitarian operations.

Evacuation orders cover all of South Lebanon, including at least 100 villages, as well as the entire Dahiyeh area of Beirut, home to approximately 700,000 residents. Population movements are largely unpredictable and multidirectional, with people moving through multiple temporary locations and making detours to safer areas. These complex patterns increase protection risks by exposing people to hostilities en-route, heightening the risk of family separation, and limiting access to basic services, humanitarian assistance, protection services and timely protection monitoring. People at heightened vulnerability, such as persons with disabilities, are particularly affected as they face barriers to access information and ability to leave high-risk areas. A major escalation on 12 March targeted Ramlet AlBayda, an area hosting hundreds of displaced families in tents, resulting in seven deaths and 20 injuries among displaced people who had sought refuge there.

Protection service delivery is ongoing but constrained. Partners continue to provide emergency social work and case management (CM) for highly vulnerable individuals, psychological support, information on services, and awareness raising activities on protection risks, including positive parenting, in CSs and some schools that remain safely accessible. However, volatile security conditions restrict access to many areas and collective sites, especially in South Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and parts of Mount Lebanon. Movement restrictions, insecurity, and damage to infrastructure hamper regular outreach, follow-up and referrals, leaving many with limited access to specialized protection support.

Even before the latest escalation, some 2.99 million people across Lebanon were assessed to be in need of humanitarian assistance, including vulnerable Lebanese, displaced Syrians, Palestinian refugees, and migrants, with a target of 1.5 million people for multisector support. The current conflict and displacement compound preexisting vulnerabilities, overstretching already fragile services and straining social cohesion, particularly in areas hosting large numbers of newly displaced people

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